A Christmas To Remember
by Thn0715
Summary: At JJ's annual Christmas decorating party, the team gets a surprise.  H/R very mild slash.  Written by request for ilovetvalot.  **NOMINEE: BEST SLASH PROFILER'S CHOICE 2011 CM FANFIC AWARDS**


**A/N: Hello friends! It's been a while since I posted. Sorry 'bout that. My muse decided to go on vacation and left me home! *shakes finger at Muse* Bad Muse! Anyway, thanks to a little request from ilovetvalot, my Muse has returned, well rested and raring to go!**

**Special A/N: Ilovetvalot requested some Hotch/Rossi and this is the first thing that popped into my head. So this is for you, my friend! I know I didn't sign up for the Christmas Gift Exchange because I really didn't think I'd be able to get something up in time. And yet, here we are, with a little Christmas fun. Consider this my Christmas Gift to you! I hope you like it.**

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**A Christmas To Remember  
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The Jareau/LaMontagne house was a flurry of activity. For the first time in months the entire BAU family was together again in one place. Since JJ's transfer to the Department of Defense, there had not been a time when all seven of them were able to be together. There were meetings, consults, cases, family obligations, any number of things keeping them all busy. But when Jennifer Jareau called for their traditional "Let's make JJ's place a Christmas Extravaganza" holiday decorating party, everyone made sure to clear their calendars. And now here they were. The BAU family, plus Will, Henry, and Jack, all together the way they should be.

David Rossi stood against the wall, glass of scotch in hand, admiring this eclectic group that meant more to him than he could have ever imagined.

He watched JJ fluttering throughout her home and amongst her friends and thought about how far she had come since their first meeting, how much stronger and more confident. No wonder DOD wanted her. Hell, who wouldn't? And though she had fought vehemently against it, as had her team, in hindsight it was the best thing that could have happened for her. The sparkle that began to fade from her eyes over her last few months with the BAU was finding its way back. Professionally, she was still in a position of great importance, but with a lot less travel. She was able to spend more time at home and her relationship with Will had only grown stronger. As had her relationship with her son. She was genuinely happy. It radiated off of her in waves and was infectious, especially to her two best gal pals, Emily and Penelope.

Dave chuckled to himself at the unlikely friendship that had formed between the tomboy and the princess. If ever two women were opposites, it was these two. Prentiss, with her tough as nails exterior and quick wit, often seen in black or gray, or red if she was feeling flirtatious or dangerous. Garcia, with her over the top wardrobe of neons and pastels, her never-ending supply of hair dye, and enough flirty comebacks to write her own novel. These two were polar opposites in nearly every way until one peeled back those protective layers and uncovered their hearts of pure gold and the endless sea of compassion they showed for anyone they felt deserved it. And especially for the other five members of their team…their family. They were fiercely protective and loyal, and God help anyone who tried to breach that.

He shifted his focus to the equally baffling relationship between Derek and Spencer. Any outsider would be bewildered by these two. Morgan – as alpha male as they come, black, six feet of solid muscle, and looked like he belonged on the cover of every woman's romance novels. And an attitude that screamed, "Wanna piece of me? Come and get it!" Reid – so white he's almost pale, skinny as a flagpole, shy and timid. Not comfortable in his own skin unless he's spouting off statistics or discussing 15th century literature. And yet, these two men had formed much more than a friendship. They were brothers in every sense of the word. The older fiercely protective of the younger despite the constant teasing, and the younger's admiration of the older, constantly studying and learning from him. Dave couldn't help but smile as he thought about how much self-confidence Spencer had gained in the short time he had known him and he knew it was because of Derek Morgan.

And then there was Aaron. What could he say about Aaron? What could he NOT say about Aaron? He admired everything about the stoic Unit Chief whom he'd once helped train: his professional ability, his confidence without arrogance, his compassion. He admired no trait more than his perseverance. He'd watched as the man struggled to repair the shattered pieces of his life, to rebuild himself amidst such damning personal tragedy, and he'd come out on the other side stronger and more capable than ever, both for himself and his young son. To the team, Aaron was their foundation, their rock. Teacher. Mentor. Protector. Friend. But there was one title for Aaron that was reserved for Dave and Dave alone. A title he valued, respected, and cherished more than any other. Lover.

Aaron's attention was torn between the fun child-like antics of Morgan trying to dress Reid up like a garland covered elf while they tried to decorate the taller portions of the tree, and his lover standing off to the side against the wall clearly lost in thought. He sat his glass of scotch on the small end table and slipped quietly away from the crowd.

"Hey," he spoke softly. "You okay?"

Aaron's voice brought Dave out of his thoughts. He offered him a small smile. "I'm good."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just wondering how on Earth I got this lucky."

Aaron looked at him thoughtfully, willing him to continue.

"Look at them," Dave said, tilting his glass toward their younger team members who were now trying to untangle Reid from the string of lights that Prentiss had added to Morgan's garland. If they had their way, Reid would be the shiniest, sparkliest elf in Virginia. JJ and Garcia were cackling while Garcia snapped photo after photo. "Okay, okay, hold still," they overheard Prentiss' laughter-filled voice as she struggled to free the lights from Reid's hair amidst Reid's squeaks of "Ow, ow ow!" as she pulled. Morgan couldn't stand up straight because he was laughing too hard.

"They really are a special group," Dave chuckled at the scene before them. "I was afraid JJ's transfer would eventually break this up, but they all seem closer than ever. We really are a family, Hotch. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of it. Not something I thought I'd find at this stage of my life."

Aaron smiled at him. "I know what you mean."

He resisted the urge to take Dave's hand, shoving his own in his pockets instead. Though they had been together for a while, they had not told the team. 'Plausible Deniability' was their reasoning. They didn't want to give anyone any ammunition to use to break up what was left of their team. Even so, they kept glancing at each other. It was becoming harder and harder to remain discreet during these moments when they were with their family. Dave nudged Aaron's arm with his elbow to get his attention. Once he had it, he glanced up at the ceiling. Aaron followed his gaze and chuckled. Mistletoe. He looked back at his lover and shook his head.

"When did you become such a sap?"

"When someone finally gave me a reason to be."

Aaron reached out and entwined his left hand with Dave's right. Taking another glance at their team, making sure they were still preoccupied with their Christmas fiasco, Dave brushed his knuckles lightly across Aaron's cheek. Aaron placed his free hand on Dave's chest, just over his heart, and they shared a soft, tender kiss under the mistletoe. They lost themselves in the moment… only for a moment… before they realized the room had suddenly become way too quiet.

They ended their kiss and looked at each other like deer caught in headlights before slowly turning to face their team, whom were now all staring at them.

"Something you two want to share with the rest of the class?" snickered Morgan.

"Yeah, boys," Prentiss joined in, "something you want to tell us?"

Aaron and Dave looked at each other again and shrugged.

"Well, I guess our secret is out," Dave said.

"I guess so," Aaron concurred, rubbing the back of his neck, as they all knew he did when he was nervous.

"And just how long has this little secret been a secret?" Garcia asked giddily. It was the question they were all dying to know the answer to.

"About a year and a half."

"What?" JJ squealed.

"We never intended to keep it a secret," Dave started to explain. "We just didn't want to give Strauss any ammunition to use against the team."

"What do you mean?" Prentiss asked.

"Well," Hotch stepped in, "aside from the usual fraternization rules against workplace dating, we're in a same sex relationship, and I'm still his supervisor. Strauss wouldn't flinch at the chance to use that against us. This way, if she tried to use any of you to get information, you could honestly say you didn't know about us. And after JJ got ripped out from under us, I've become a lot more protective of this team."

They all thought about what Hotch said. It had not gone unnoticed that his protective instincts had been in high gear ever since JJ was transferred. And they didn't blame him. After everything their team had been through over the last two years, they had all become more protective of each other.

"I only have one question before I let you two off the hot seat," Morgan said after a few moments. Hotch and Dave both groaned at the mischievous gleam in Morgan's eye, but he surprised them with the simplicity of his question. "Are you happy?"

They looked at each other, the love showing in their eyes.

"Yes," Dave responded first.

"For the first time in a long time," Hotch added, offering Dave a small smile.

Morgan nodded, more than satisfied with their answers.

"Well, I have one more thing to say," Prentiss stepped up, looking serious before a huge grin spread across her face and she turned to face her teammates. "I was right!" She threw her arms into the air in victory. "I told you guys something was going on! You guys thought I was crazy, but I told you! And I was right! HA! Pay up, bitches!"

She danced around in front of them as Morgan, JJ, and Garcia reached for their wallets, each handing her $20. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Prentiss grinned as she plucked her winnings from their hands. Reid tried to reach his wallet, but his arms were trapped by the garland still wrapped haphazardly around him. Morgan finally took pity on him and began to free him with Garcia's help. Hotch and Rossi could only laugh.

"Prentiss," Hotch called out to get her attention, waving her over. She finally stopped dancing around, taking pity on her teammates, and she and Hotch moved to one side of the room.

"How did you know?"

She chuckled. "I can't believe the others couldn't see it, but every time Rossi walks into the room, you smile. Sometimes it's a very small, quick smile, but it's there. And it's a different kind of smile. That's how I knew."

He smiled. "And I thought I was being discreet."

She shifted to a more serious, quieter tone. "I'm very happy for both of you, Hotch. Dave is a good man. We've gotten pretty close over the last few years. He's become a real friend to me. Just so you know, if you hurt him, you're gonna deal with me, you got it?"

He chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

On the other side, JJ was having a similar conversation with Rossi.

"You know," she began, "Hotch is the closest thing I've ever had to a big brother. I'm always gonna worry about him. He's been through so much. It's good to see him smiling again. You did that. Don't you dare hurt him, David Rossi. Don't make me come back and prove to you personally that I'm still the best shot in the FBI."

"I would never hurt him, JJ. I love him too much."

JJ smiled. "Good."

They all rejoined the team to finish putting the final touches on JJ's Christmas tree. Dave and Aaron both felt relief at not having to hide their relationship from their family any longer. They felt free. The others noticed the change as well. There were no overt shows of affection. Just the little things; the brush of Dave's hand through Aaron's hair, Aaron's hand on Dave's shoulder, the way they would lean into each other, the smiles. And it made them all smile in return.

Hotch looked around and noticed something was missing.

"JJ, where are the boys?"

"They fell asleep in Henry's room. I guess this was a little too much excitement for them. They've both had a pretty long day."

Aaron looked up at Dave. "I should probably get Jack home."

"You know," JJ interjected, "you're more than welcome to leave him here tonight. He's already asleep anyway. Besides, you two probably don't get much time to be alone together."

"I don't have any of his stuff with me."

"He can spend one day in the same clothes, Hotch," she chuckled. "It will give him and Henry a chance to play. They don't get to see each other much anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise. You know that."

"Really, Hotch," Will chimed in. "We don't mind."

"Alright." He looked back at Dave. "I'm going to look in on him, then we'll go."

A few moments later, Hotch and Dave were saying their goodbyes and heading out the door. They decided to spend the rest of their gifted evening together at Little Creek. It was starting to lightly snow, the first snowfall of the season. Dave reached for Aaron's hand. No words were exchanged. None were needed. They said everything they needed to say with their eyes. They leaned into each other and shared a slow, meaningful kiss before separating to their cars.

"Hey guys," Prentiss called from the window. "It's starting to snow."

The others came to the window to see, just in time to witness Aaron and Dave's kiss as the fresh snow fell down around them. Garcia pulled out her camera and immortalized the moment. She'd give them a copy as a Christmas present. For all of them, this would definitely be a Christmas to remember.

_**THE END**_


End file.
